Today is #WorldAIDSDay, a day when the world’s focus is on the fight against HIV/AIDS. There are already a number of medications on the market to help ease symptoms of HIV.According to the World Health Organization, since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began more than 30 years ago, over 70 million people have contracted HIV. No vaccine exists to […]

Pesticide use on commercially grown crops has increased dramatically even more than consumers have been led to believe. According to figures recently released by the Soil Association – the UK’s leading food and farming charity and organic certification body – show the number of chemicals on supermarket vegetables has increased up to 17 fold in the […] […]

Among the hundreds of emails and newsletters that come my way everyday, one quickly caught my attention. In it was an article that talked about companies that do animal testing, a topic I’ve been following for a while. Let me be blunt. I despise that companies do horrendously painful and inhumane testing on defenseless, innocent animals. And […]

Many of you know I was a long time resident of Northern California, a place of beauty and many natural wonders that still holds a special place in my heart. The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote that was recently published online about one of these remarkable public places and the trials and […]

Contrary to assurances by fish farming concerns, thousands of farmed Atlantic salmon have escaped into the Pacific Ocean. They escaped from a damaged net pen at a Cooke Aquaculture fish farm off Cypress Island in Washington’s Puget Sound on Saturday, This has sparked fears that the farm-raised fish could threaten wild Pacific salmon. According to the Washing […]

The FDA has taken no action against companies distributing contaminated baby wipes

Whistleblowers have a thankless job standing up for what they believe is right.

Five years ago, two whistleblowers notified the US Food and Drug Administration about the contamination of disposable baby wipes made by Wisconsin-based Rockline Industries and that the company knew about but failed to stop the distribution of the products. They further wrote that the company had a special “code” they would broadcast should a surprise inspection occur.

Two weeks later, on Nov. 7, 2006, a government inspector paid an unannounced visit and discovered problems that included faulty product testing and poor sanitation, as well as customer complaints about mold and foreign objects such as a dead cockroach and razor blade in the wipes.

Focused on raising money for international charities and matching volunteers for make-a-difference global projects, the non-profit UniversalGiving has been making a big impact around the world this year. Their biggest task is working to eliminate poverty in its many forms.